


Yu-Gi-Oh! Re-GX

by TheLandMaster



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Other, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLandMaster/pseuds/TheLandMaster
Summary: Turns out that when you have too much fun with dueling, you attract the attention of some weirds things. And these weird things end up putting you into some very "special" games. But hey, a duelist's gotta do what a duelist's gotta do! So let's do this! Game set, Duel ready! - Yu-Gi-Oh! GX SI fic, altered canon!
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

“It’s over! With this blow, victory will be mine!”

“Gnngh… Dammit…!!”

“Now! Photon Caesar, destroy his final Life Points with Brilliant Ruler Slash!”

“Nooooooooooo!!”

“Hahah! Victory is mine!”

…

“Phew… Damn, dude, that was a good duel.”

“Yeah, man, thanks for the invite, I had a blast!”

“Alright, see ya around!... Well, okay folks, today’s been one hell of a day, lots of strong players showed up, and we even got to 500 viewers! But I gotta head to bed, so I’ll be ending things here. Thank you everyone for joining, and I’ll see you next time!”

I closed the stream right after saying those words, watching as the chat devolved into a stream of Poggers and card emotes like it always did whenever I finished a duel in style, and it made fighting back the smile all the harder.

I stared at the title screen of the “Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution” game for a long time, letting the title theme fade away and leave only the text “Press Start to Begin” pulsing lightly close to the middle. It was a screen I had grown so used to seeing…

For five years I had been streaming me playing games, and Tuesday was the session people most looked forward to. Or, as the viewers knew it, “Duelsday”, where I would play LotD the entire day, teaching some Deck recipes and dueling against anyone that joined in.

The over-acting like we were characters from the show certainly made everything that much more fun.

How many decks had I made, how many cards had I collected in this game… A lot, honestly. Probably more than any sane person would. Not to mention all the DLC packs that I had purchased… But all so worth it in the end. I mean, a 65% victory ratio ain’t nothing to sneeze at, even if the good old Magical Poker Equation was to thank for some of them.

 _Though I guess in this case it’d be the Heart of the Cards_ , I thought happily, remembering all the times I acted like I had eaten ten tons of ham before the stream after drawing “the one card” to bring victory. _Well… Better go to bed. Gotta get some rest for the stream tomorrow_. I closed the game and moved to turn off the computer…

_Ping_

That is, until a notification alert sounded, and a new Steam window appeared.

YOU HAVE A FRIEND REQUEST – JUST NOW  
USER: -NULL-

“What the hell…?”

I opened the profile, but was greeted by even more unknowns: no profile picture, no bio, country of origin or games played… And the account had been created literally minutes ago? I didn’t even have time to consider anything more before a chat window opened, called by the -NULL- user.

_-NULL-: Hello there._

_-AbsoluteMadMan-gaka-: Umm, hi? Who are you?_

_-NULL-: Consider me a fan. I’ve watched you for some time now._

_\- AbsoluteMadMan-gaka -: Oh, you’re one of my viewers?_

_-NULL-: In a way, yes. I’d like to posit an offer, if you would not mind?_

_\- AbsoluteMadMan-gaka -: … What kind of offer?_

_-NULL-: I wish to offer you a game._

_\- AbsoluteMadMan-gaka -: Look man, it’s pretty late, I wanna go to bed… If you hit me up tomorrow, I could take a look at it._

_-NULL-: I insist. Please. You will not regret the time._

I looked over at the clock on the corner of the screen, and saw that it was half past midnight already. I _really_ needed to sleep, tomorrow was the day I promised a big tournament for the stream, and if there’s one thing I knew it was to not duel when almost falling asleep.

… Well, I could just wake up an hour later, no big loss. The most it would happen would be eating lunch on camera.

- _AbsoluteMadMan-gaka-: Alright, one game. Then I have to sleep._

_-NULL-: Thank you. Accept my friend request, then we’ll begin._

I did so, and almost immediately the game invite came through, bringing me back to the title screen of Legacy of the Duelist.

Except it looked different.

Gone were all the different options like the single player, deck edit or card shop. Even the help and options icon itself wasn’t there. Instead, only two selections were available:

JOIN

LEAVE

 _The fuck? Did this guy hack my game or something? Anti-virus didn’t trigger at all_ …

At that point, my reaction would have been to close the game, tell whoever this was off, scrub my computer with every single anti-virus and anti-malware program I could conceive of, and throw myself in bed out of frustration.

… Except I didn’t.

Because when I looked at those options, those two simple words, something… Stirred in me. Back when, I didn’t exactly realize what it was precisely, but now… I can give a description to that feeling.

- _NULL-: Well? What will be your choice?_

I looked at the message, and after a moment of hesitation, I moved the cursor to the “JOIN” option and clicked.

The screen quickly changed, replacing the two options with two new ones.

SELECT DECKS

BEGIN

I once more chose the first option, and was greeted with two square windows, one empty and one filled with all the Decks I owned in the game. Curious, I clicked on one deck, my Superheavy Samurai one, but nothing I happened. I then tried clicking and dragging, and indeed, the Deck icon followed the cursor as it moved, and was placed inside the empty window once I let go. So on I went, adding every single Deck I thought important.

Bujin, Photon/Galaxy, Subterror, Cyberse, Gem-Knight, Borrel/Rokket, the uhh… _Personal_ Deck…

In total, I chose eight different decks, the eight I most treasured and had the fondest memories. Whatever game this… Whoever wanted to play, I’d at least come prepared for it. With my choice made, I returned to the previous screen and saw that the “Select Decks” option was now greyed out. And once more, -Null- messaged me.

_-NULL-: I see you’ve made your choice. Are you ready, then?_

_-AbsoluteMadMan-gaka-: Yeah, I’m ready._

_-NULL-: Good. Then I bid you welcome to this game. Let us begin then._

Taking a deep breath, I clicked on the “BEGIN” option.

I blinked.

… This wasn’t my computer.

This wasn’t my room.

T-This… Wasn’t m-my face…

Rather than sitting in my own chair, inside my room and facing _my_ computer in _my_ desk, I was in a small white room with no windows and only one door leading to… _Somewhere_ … With a strange-looking computer atop a plain table, and a small mirror standing beside the monitor. And I… _Someone_ … Was staring back at me on it.

He… _I_ looked some six or seven years younger, and honestly far better built than I had _ever_ looked. My cheeks were more angular and slimmer, my eyes had gone from brown to grey, and my hair, once short, curly and brown, had become a gravity-defying ponytail, with red highlights at the tip and on my bangs.

And instead of wearing my pajamas, I was dressed in a white tank top with flame decals, a black coat, some cargo pants and blue sneakers.

“What… What the…”

_Beep_

My head almost flew off my neck with how fast it turned towards the monitor, which only now I realized had an open voice chat.

The chat’s name was -NULL-

“ _I am thankful you’ve joined my game_ ,” spoke an electronic voice in a monotone. “ _Are you pleased with your appearance?_ ”

“What the hell is this?!” I shouted, my voice coming out in a baritone voice, yet also still more youthful than I remembered my own. “What did you do to me?!”

“ _I promised you would play a game. And it is what you have been offered.”_

“What?!”

“ _A game of fate, if you will. Where you will play to decide the fates of many. Have you not realized where you find yourself yet?_ _Perhaps this will bring clarity you.”_ At those words, another browser window opened, this one showing an… Ad… For…

“… I-Industrial… Illusions…?”

“ _Birthplace and capital of Duel Monsters, home of one Maximillion Pegasus. I believe you will find him most useful for your endeavors.”_

“You… Put me in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world…?”

“ _You are indeed correct. You are, as we speak, inside a LAN house private room. Your stated reason to be here is to verify some private information,_ ” continued the voice, as one more browser window opened, revealing some bank I’ve never seen before and an account that showed a four thousand dollars deposit for tomorrow, as well as the bank and account number… But no name? “ _More precisely, you are here for me to explain the rules of this game._ ”

It was only my experience as a streamer that allowed me to school my emotions and keep my calm, instead of going into a profanity-laden tirade against -NULL-. Instead, I clenched and unclenched my fists a few times, took a few long breaths, then faced the screen again. “Alright… I’m listening.”

“ _Perfect. The rules are simple: you will have complete freedom upon this world. Whatever you do will be by your choices, and I will do nothing about it. The game will end when you lose. Ergo, when you meet permanent demise in this world. Victory is declared if you finish the story, completion is when you reach the end of your life without completing the main objective. Defeat has already been stated. Whatever may be, your will be returned to your own place, with as many memories as you’ve collected up to that point… And an extra should you achieve victory.”_

“And what _is_ the main objective? Are you gonna tell me?”

“ _That is for you to discover and decide. It would not be a game after all if the solution was given. I will at least indicate the tools available to you. Check behind you.”_

Putting down the questions of how they could be so aware, I turned, and to my surprise found a few more things in the room with me. Particularly, two metal briefcases, a 5D era Duel Disk, a wallet, a cellphone and a strange rectangular brick attached to a keychain, all of it atop a large piece of paper.

“What the…”

“ _The key is for your transportation on this world, the wallet contains your documents and bank card. Said bank account will receive two thousand dollars every fifth day of the month, so as to allow you financial stability. One of these briefcases contains all eight decks you have chosen. The other contains a collection of cards from your game inventory that you will find… Useful… Though of course, you will first require to retool them for proper legality.”_

“Of course…” I muttered, cupping my chin in thought. A few of my decks were technically usable on this time, but the rest… That’s when the thought hit me. “… Wait a minute… Proper legality, Pegasus… This is the original timeline?”

“ _A close assumption, but incorrect. Have a look at the flyer beneath your belongings.”_

I pulled said flyer from beneath all the things, and what I saw in it… Well, it answered almost everything.

_DUEL ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM! INSCRIPTIONS OPEN!_

“Duel Academy… I’m in GX?”

“ _Correct. Any other answers to your questions, you will not receive from me. Discover them for yourself… That is, of course, if you seek them. Now, all that is left is to decide your name for this world. A new life requires a new name, after all. So… What is your name?”_

“My name… Hmm… How about this…”

**-O-**

I was out of the LAN house ten minutes later, with all my belongings now organized and safely in my grasp. Thankfully, the staff didn’t ask questions, nor did they seem to give signs of hearing me borderline talk to myself.

Didn’t even have to pay, apparently I had done so beforehand… Somehow.

At least that was one problem solved.

Now, to the second: legalizing all these cards… Even the ones not meant for me.

Turns out the other briefcase had cards not for my decks. Instead, it was for others. Others I realized quite quickly who they were.

“Make a choice”, yeah right… Like I had much of it. Knowing the amount of bullshit and suffering that would go down on that school, how could I _not_ try to enter? Something did bug me about how the pamphlet was worded: it spoke of Duel Academy not as a high school, but instead as an university, with a five-year program. Did that mean the entire cast would be older than in the show…? That would certainly makes things interesting. I also got myself a map of the city, just to make sure I wouldn’t look like a bumbling monkey in the middle of what I could conceivably call one of the most important cities in this world. And wouldn’t you know, Industrial Illusions was helpfully marked as a point of interest. The question is… How do I get there… Oh right, I got a key for some transport, right?

I pulled the small rectangle from my pocket and looked it over, seeing a few buttons marked on one side, including one for a lock. Was this for a car or something?

I pressed it…

_Beep beep._

… Sweet~.

**-O-**

Sarah Morrigan very much liked her job as executive assistant at Industrial Illusions. It was a mostly calm job, receiving clients and visitors with the professionalism expected of someone working in the second largest entertainment company on the planet, sorting through some preparations for VIPs, making sure the paperwork that came her way was properly sorted, and all the needs of the Pegasus’ were met. And when one spent so long at a position, you tend to grow accustomed to a certain pattern of things.

Today, holding her usual cup of coffee and a report on Mr. Pegasus’ scheduled meetings, her sense of “normalcy” was sent careening off the window when a massive bird-like tricycle parked outside their building with a deafening roar of its engine, allowing the young man riding it to dismount and walk into their building holding two briefcases in his hands.

As quickly as ever, Sarah strode towards the entrance hall, just in time to see the young man standing at the reception desk, talking with the building’s receptionist.

“I’m sorry sir but we can’t simply call up Mr. Pegasus,” she spoke in an exasperated tone. “Especially since you’re… Well, not a priority person, sir. No offense.”

“None taken,” he replied calmly. “But I do need help from Pegasus, or someone higher in the company. It’s for an important matter.”

“Sir, as I’ve said—”

“Can I help you, sir?” called out Sarah as she walked towards the counter. Hearing her voice, both the receptionist and the new arrival turned towards her in relief and curiosity, respectively.

“Oh… Hello there,” he replied, taking a few steps toward her before hefting the briefcases into the air. “I wanted to ask these cards to be reviewed and retooled, but it needs to be a special service due to sensitivity.”

“Sir, Industrial Illusions does not perform retool of cards,” replied Sarah, feeling a budding frustration at the young man. “If you’ve purchased counterfeit cards, we cannot simply legalize them for you.”

“That’s not what’s happening, ma’am, this is something else entirely.”

“Then I ask that you use the proper channels to contact our services, sir. Now please, I must ask that you vacate the premise, before—”

“What seems to be trouble?”

**-O-**

The surprises keep pilling today, don’t they…

And the newest one was the arrival of a young man that for all that was holy I could _swear_ was like a younger Pegasus, only with green hair, dressed in a maroon trench coat, white shirt and pants, and rather than the usual playful look the Toon Master always wore, this one had a more placid, calm expression.

“M-Mr. Pegasus!” babbled the woman, her stance becoming far more stiff as she turned to face the arrival—

… Wait… Did she say _Mr. Pegasus_?!

“I received word that there was a curious arrival at our company,” continued the man, before turning to face me fully. “Would they be speaking of you?”

“Probably so, sir,” I replied as calmly as I could, before reaching into my pocket for something I hoped would grasp his attention. “I have a special request to make, if you wouldn’t mind.” And with that, I withdrew my best hope and offered it to “Mr. Pegasus”, who readily took it.

Considering the way his eyes sharpened when staring at the Duel Monsters card I handed over, I was either in luck, or in _deep trouble_.

“Where did you get this card?” he asked with that same calm tone, though there was an edge to his tone that made clear that my answer should better be good.

“I’ve owned it for five years now, sir. And I’ve used it quite a few times now.”

“… Come with me.”

Thankfully, I managed to keep the smile off my face as I followed after this mysterious Pegasus, even as the two women behind us watched in shock as the “strange arrival” left with the important person I had been looking for. Not a moment later, three guards joined me and the VIP, circling the two of us the entire way to a large elevator deeper inside the building. As soon as we were inside, the green-haired man typed a complex password on a keypad inside, sending us almost rocketing up the building. All the while, he would sneak glances at me, though I noticed they held no hostility, but instead some… Intense curiosity.

Finally, after a few more minutes, the elevator stopped, allowing us to step out into a very _spacious_ study. The walls were lined with antique objects and even stone carvings, chief of which were what I recognized to be inscriptions detailing the Millennium Items and some of the more powerful monsters of the time. Others were just cartoon memorabilia of dozens of different shows that I had never seen before, with two bookcases that went up to the ceiling being the last pieces on the walls.

The only other item of furniture was a large wooden desk with three chairs on each side, and two figures already sat on one side: one was a near-perfect copy of the man accompanying me, bar his choice of clothes, which were a pink coat and black pants, and his face looked a bit younger and more filled with emotion.

The other wore an impeccable red suit, had shining silver hair, and was holding a glass of what I was sure to be grape juice.

Maximillion Pegasus did not look a day over his 20s.

“Brother, is that the one?” asked the young man standing beside Pegasus—

… Wait… Brother…?

“Wait, are… All of you Pegasus?” I asked aloud, earning myself a duo of confused, and one extremely amused one.

“Ohohoh… That is certainly an interesting question,” spoke the senior Pegasus in mirth as he swirled the juice in his glass. “So it seems there’s one person in the world that doesn’t know of the Pegasus family. Well, at least it’s an opportunity to introduce yourselves anew. Boys?”

“Very well, father. My name is Sigmund Pegasus,” spoke the one standing beside his father.

“And I am Roderick Pegasus,” said the one standing beside me as he paced towards his father. “I presume we need not to introduce our father?”

“I’m not _that_ uninformed, thank you very much,” I replied with a smile as I slowly moved towards the table, my grip on the two briefcases still _very_ much tight. When Pegasus Sr. motioned to a free seat, I placed the two briefcases on the floor next to the chair before sitting down, while with a wave of his hand the CEO dismissed his guards from the room and back down the elevator they had just arrived on. “Thank you for accepting to see me, sir. It is an honor.”

And it really was. Nevermind the fact that I was struggling with my inner fanboy at the fact I was staring and interacting with MAXIMILLION PEGASUS HIMSELF, it was a strange sensation to be sitting in front of a man that, to this world, was absolutely legendary. Maybe it was his defeat to Yugi all those years ago, but the man had a very relaxing air surrounding him. Something that made me want to completely disarm around him and offer nothing but honesty to him.

And that in itself was dangerous. Especially since these two sons of his were complete unknowns to me. I knew Pegasus himself could be trusted with the truth, since he had witnessed the powers and mysteries of the occult and fantastical, maybe even of the dimensional boundaries, provided Yugi or Kaiba had told him of the realm of Duel Spirits… Or the afterlife, in Kaiba’s case.

Wonder how that duel turned out…

No, focus. You have business to handle.

“Well, onto matters at hand. Mr. Pegasus, I believe your son Roderick has something of mine to show you,” I spoke, motioning to said son calmly. On cue, Roderick offered the card I had given him to his father, while his brother eyed me with renewed curiosity and a hint of mistrust. Daintly, Pegasus took the card, and the moment his eye laid on the card, it widened slightly, moving around slightly as the man read through the card. And after no more than two minutes, Pegasus turned back towards me, flipping the card so it faced me instead.

“Quite a curious card indeed… Unlike any I know.”

And really, he did have a point.

Painted navy-blue with a hexagon pattern, the picture surrounded by arrows, was a knight clad in Tron-like armor, wielding a sword with a line blade. Sitting at a comfortable 2300 ATK points, at the cost of 2 Effect Monsters to summon, and with a very useful effect.

The Link-3 Cyberse Monster, Decode Talker.

Something that wouldn’t be invented in Duel Monsters for possible centuries, if not more.

“Would you tell us the tales of how you’ve come to own such a card, young man?” continued the man, gently placing the card onto the table. “And the many more I assume you possess inside these briefcases?”

Still smiling, I hefted the briefcases onto the table and unlocked both before turning them towards the three Pegasus. While one contained the sealed cases for my eight chosen decks, the other was filled with several cards, ala a money briefcase or those “rare cards” ones the anime kept showing. And while you couldn’t really see the contents of my decks, the second case showed its contents proudly: Cyber Eternity Dragon, Super Vehicroid – Mobile Base, Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, Cyber Angel Izana… Possible reinforcements, should the need arise.

But not for me. I had no use for those cards. These were for possible allies… Possible friends.

“Some of these may seem recognizable for you three. And indeed, they _are_ related to existing cards. But they contain no recognition microchips, ergo, they cannot be utilized in duels due to not being made by Industrial Illusions. The same applies to the cards contained in those cases, my personal ones… Alongside the fact some of them are of non-existing Monster types. Synchro, Exceed, Link…”

“But _how_ did you acquire these cards?” asked Sigmund as he approached the briefcase containing my decks, running one hand over the box labeled G/P before taking the box in his hands to closely examine it. “No other companies produce Duel Monster cards, and these are too high-quality to be fakes.”

“And you’ve mentioned to me that you’ve used these cards for five years now,” added Roderick, still standing beside his father. “Which means you have been dueling using illegal cards… But with whom, and where?” And under his analytical gaze, all I could do was sigh and shake my head.

“That… I cannot say. Not out of distrust, but rather due to… Sensitive information.”

“Oh? Is it perchance the fact that you and your cards are not exactly of this world?”

I nearly choked in my own tongue with how nonchalantly Pegasus Sr. blurted out my biggest secret just like that, and with barely a few minutes of having met me. And judging by the way his smile grew a few inches wider, my reaction (and of his sons) was exactly the one he was expecting. “W-Wha… But h-how—”

“Well, my dear boy,” replied the man as he waved his hand back and forth. “When you have spent so many years occupied with supernatural phenomena, one tends to become open-minded to certain situations. Or did you forget that I’ve created this entire game from magical Egyptian tablets retrieved from the tomb of a long-dead pharaoh? Please, an otherworldly traveler is quite tame in comparison.”

“… W-Well… You’re not wrong, Mr. Pegasus…” I finally spoke, shifting uncomfortably in my seat as I felt his sons’ glares bore onto me. “I… _Am_ an otherworldly traveler… Even if an unwitting one…”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Sigmund.

“I was nothing but a duelist for entertainment in my own world, dueling for fun and for others to watch and enjoy. At the end of my last duel, however, I was contacted by… _Something_ … That invited me to play a game. While at first I took it as only being another duel, once I accepted, I… Found myself here, given my cards and told to ‘play the game’ to its fullest… Whatever it means with that…” I let out a weary sigh, rubbing my face with both hands before raising my gaze to meet the Pegasus family. “And considering how Duel Monsters is prominent in both our worlds, and I was given my decks… I assume it wishes me to duel others in some way. But my cards would be useless, unless they were modified to become more in line with what exists in this world.”

There. Not the _complete_ truth, but quite enough to allow a solid picture to be painted of my situation. They did not need to know their entire universe was nothing but a fictional creation in my world, and their highly popular game was just a children’s card game on “normal” Earth.

“So… That is your story,” stated Roderick in a still even tone of voice, but I could tell there were some veiled emotions in his words. “And you stand by it?”

“Yes sir. All of it is true.”

“That remains to be seen,” said Sigmund, placing the G/P deck back into the briefcase. “Father? What would your verdict be?”

“Well I’ve said once, I’ll say it again: the things I’ve seen before in my life certainly make me lean towards believing this young man,” replied Pegasus Sr. as he drank the last of his juice before placing his wine glass back onto the table. “And with the passion I can see in his eyes, I am not adverse to assisting a duelist in need… But of course, there is the issue of payment for such services~”

“Yes, I… Understand. I’m prepared to pay, of course—”

“No need to worry about money, my boy. I can assure you, I have enough of that for my lifetime already,” he interjected, tapping his finger next to my “Decode Talker” card. “No… You’ll instead repay me by performing a task.”

A task? What could it be? “What sort of task, Mr. Pegasus?”

“Have you any knowledge of Duel Academy?”

 _Yes, quite a lot of it_. “No, sir, none at all.”

“Mmm. Then allow me to offer a quick resume: Duel Academy is a teaching institution responsible for educating and shaping all future generations of duelists of our world. One of many, in fact, but this one is the one I’m most fond of.” Pegasus then leaned forward in his desk, interlocking his fingers with one another while giving me a knowing smile. “My proposal is this: I shall rework two decks of your choice as a starting offer, and in return, you must pass the entrance exam, enroll yourself into Duel Academy, and prove your passion to Duel Monsters. Do so… And I will personally remake all your cards into a usable format, free of charge. If you fail… Well, at least you’ll have something to utilize during your ‘game’. Do you accept these terms?”

I looked at each of the three men standing across the table from me, feeling their eyes judging and measuring my every reaction to said proposal.

And honestly, how could I refuse it? It was the best possible scenario for me: a guaranteed spot in their entrance trials, usable decks for the immediate future, and possibly the rest of my cards if I proved myself worthy enough to Pegasus. Finally, with one last theatrical sigh, I nodded, stood up and bowed to the three men. “I accept your proposal, Mr. Pegasus. I promise you, I will not disappoint you.”

“I certainly hope so, my boy,” replied the CEO before rising himself and offering me his hand, which I promptly and firmly shook. “But where are my manners, I have not even asked for your name! So, what shall we call you?”

And with all my willpower, I fought back the ear-splitting grin threatening to show itself, instead merely offering the owner of Industrial Illusions a soft smile. “Atlas, sir. Drake Atlas.”

**-O-**

_New Domino City, 5D timeline…_

“Ah… Achoo!”

“Huh? Hey Jack, you alright there?”

“Ngh… Yes, Crow. But I just had this feeling that someone just talked about me… And just stole my surname for themselves.”

“Heh, who knows? Maybe they’ll be more humble with it than you.”

“Very funny, Crow…”

**~O~**

**Well, there we have it. I promised, I delivered. And quite fast too, wow…**

**I ended up getting this idea stuck in my head after seeing a ton of YGO videos with some friends, plus having just bought Legacy of the Duelist for myself, I decided to throw my hat into the ring of Yu-Gi-Oh! SIs.**

**Like it wasn’t enough that I am doing a One Piece one already… Eh, who cares *dabs*.**

**Just a quick chapter setting up some of the core things, most importantly of all, of course, being getting some working cards. Never understood stories that just had OCs drop into the Yugiverse and immediately start using their cards, when we know the ones in the series are a whole different story from the KONAMI-made ones. We’ll also be seeing quite a few modern cards, specifically of archetypes that I very much enjoy, but again, as expected they will be changed and retooled, like having their card type be changed, or effects reworked into more proper ones. As an example, let us take Decode Talker. His rework would be:**

**_Decode Talker – Level 6 Effect Monster_ **

**_ATK 2100 – DEF 1600_ **

**_Gain 500 ATK for every monster next to this card. When your opponent activates a card or effect that targets a card(s) you control (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 Monster Card next to this card: negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card._ **

**Something like this. Link Monsters (what few would appear) would have their “point to” effects changed to something tailored to positioning. Every card would be a per-case thing, but I put faith in changing stuff.**

**But I digress, it’s late as fuck, I should have been in bed a long time ago.**

**Next thing? A Titanomachy chapter! Enough waiting for it, it is now being worked on!**

**Until next time, folks~**


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay… Now just hold it in place… There we go, _stay there_ … Now just the final loop… Tie it up, aaaaaaand… There, _finally_! Phew…”

I outright collapsed into my chair as I stared into the mirror, both arms aching at how long they had been raised and all the nervous sweat pouring down my face.

Let me tell you… Anime hair isn’t easy to maintain. I don’t know how it just _magically_ stays perfect, I’m gonna chalk it up to the insane logics and rules of reality of this world, but actually _styling_ the thing into that ponytail I first arrived with? Not fun. _At all_. It took me almost an entire day to learn how to redo the damn thing, and even then I had to go find a hair stylist to teach me a proper way. I almost buzzed the whole thing off out of frustration and spite.

“… Still… Have to admit it never fails to look cool,” I muttered with a smile, running my hand through the black-and-red bangs hanging over my forehead. “Guess there’s some perks to having protagonist-level hairdos.”

With _that_ grueling task done, I rose from the chair and stepped to the bathroom and quickly turned on the faucet, splashing some fresh and cool water onto my face and washing away some of my lingering drowsiness and sweat, leaving only my good ol’ companion from the last few days: maximum anxiety.

Guess it was not just my decks I brought over from my own world…

It had been five months now since I had had my first chat with Pegasus, and just one month ago I had finished the written exam, with results having arrived just last week. Incidentally, I had to constantly repeat to myself that I was an adult once I saw my name next to the sixty-ninth spot on the list, though I did manage to keep my composure long enough to casually walk out of the room and laugh my ass off for it in private.

Still, pretty much what I expected. I was never a good student, but the questions themselves had been simplistic enough that I had passed by mostly well. It helped that it was all high school stuff that I had long since learned.

Now, however, came the second part of the exam: the practical. Aka, the dueling test. And it was gonna happen eight hours from now.

So here I was, in an apartment complex owned by Industrial Illusions smack in the middle of Domino City, dressed in a blue T-shirt with lightning stamps, a yellow coat tied around my waist, grey cargo pants with some chains hanging from the pockets and white sneakers. Apparently it was meant for employees of their local corporate branch, though a recent expansion had left a few rooms free for use… Like the one I was using.

It was a cozy place, at least: a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and small living room, with a balcony big enough for one chair for me to sit on and watch the vista of the city skyline. Furniture was also basic, just a closet for clothes, two stools in the kitchen to eat on the counter, stove, microwave, small fridge, a bed, a recliner, TV, a bedside table with a chair… The minimum, but all very comfortable and practical, a sign that Pegasus treated his employees well.

Laying atop the table in my room were my 5D Duel Disk, now properly programmed and registered into the Kaiba Corp database, the keys to my bike… And two decks cases, each with a complete deck inside.

Just like Pegasus promised.

**xOx**

**_Two months ago…_ **

_“Here they are, Atlas boy. As promised, two retooled decks for your use, fully compatible with modern systems.”_

_Once more I found myself standing across from Pegasus Sr., the man still holding an impeccable charm and poise as my gaze turned from him to the two deck boxes atop the table, both of which I had used for the longest time. One had no markings on the case, just a simple black rectangle with a clasp._

_The… Well,_ that _deck._

_The other had a metallic finish, with the letters SHS/S emblazoned onto the cover._

_My Superheavy Samurai Deck._

_“Huh… You know, I expected you to adapt some of the simpler decks. You know, ones without new summoning cards,” I spoke up, taking the first case and carefully locking it on a special bandolier that I had bought on a Dueling equipment store nearby. In response, Pegasus simply chuckled, waving his hand in the air dismissively._

_“Nonsense, what kind of card designer would I be if I shirked from a challenge such as this?” he replied in mirth as he reached into his coat and withdrew a lone card, turning it to face me._

_It was Decode Talker._

_“Though I will be honest, I chose your Samurai deck for one more reason: to discover_ if _we could adapt such exotic cards. And considering it took us four months to properly recreate just this one deck… Well, it was certainly the most fun I’ve had in creating cards. But that also means that until we find both a proper way to reprint_ and _retool them to an usable form to the game... It will take some time.”_

_“I understand, sir,” I replied promptly, taking the Superheavy Samurai case next and opening it to look at the deck inside. And lo and behold, the first I saw at the forefront was a changed one: Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi._

_What was once a Level 9 Synchro Monster that required one Tuner plus one or more Superheavy Samurai monsters was now a Level 9 Effect Monster requiring specifically Superheavy Samurais to be Tribute Summoned, but keeping its original effects._

_Carefully, I slid the deck out of its box and checked each card, flipping through them one by one. They felt thicker than what I knew physical ones to be, at least from back home, and the material was certainly more high-grade than paper, most likely to have it survive the more… Shall we say,_ enthusiastic _dueling people here were used to. And finally, the black spiral in the back had been replaced with the simpler dark-brown oval that the anime kept showcasing._

_“I… Do have a question for you, Mr. Pegasus,” I spoke up after a moment of silence, placing the deck back into the case._

_“And what would it be, Atlas boy?” asked the man in return as he poured himself a glass of orange juice from a bottle he took from…_ Somewhere _._

_“The new card types… Why didn’t you ask to keep them? Or, hell… Why not have me use them so you could apply them to the game? You could make Duel Monsters grow by leaps and bounds… And in a faster way.”_

_It was at the exact_ second _that I finished speaking that Pegasus’s demeanor shifted drastically. His posture and look became more solemn, more focused… More professional, overall. Pegasus swirled the juice in his glass, his gaze unfocused and lowered, until finally he looked back up at me with a serene smile. “I suppose you could say… It is my own hubris.”_

_Seeing the confused look in my face, the man rose from his seat and paced around his desk, walking until he stood at the foot of the stone carvings of the Millennium Items. “When I traveled to Egypt, seeking the Items, their power and the mystical tablets the Egyptians wielded… I did so for selfish reasons. I sought them to fulfill my own desire, no matter the cost or sacrifices that would be needed to accomplish my dream… Until one young man brought down everything I had strived for, and laid low the darkness in my heart.”_

_Though he probably did not realize, I could see his gaze lingered longingly on both the Eye and Puzzle carvings as he sipped from his glass. “Yet that defeat allowed me to see that in my greed, I had brought something wonderful to this world. A game that would bridge generations, bring people together in their love and passion for it, become a way of life…” Pegasus then turned back to me, showing that his smile had yet to wane. “If these changes come to Duel Monsters, even if they be after my time, I will be content to know that my creation has shown such growth. But I will allow it to be natural, without influence from future knowledge.” And as he spoke his next words, his free hand rose and lightly touched the left side of his face beneath his hair. “After all… What fun is there in a game if you know what is to come?”_

**xOx**

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP

My reminiscing was cut short by the very loud cry of my alarm clock going off. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts properly, I turned to look at the… Time…

**-O-**

“GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I’M GONNA BE LATE!”

Those were the last words John Harrygood, gatekeeper for Industrial Illusion’s Apartment Complex A-5 heard as the massive hawk-like bike drove maniacally out of the building’s underground garage, its tires leaving long skid marks onto the ground as the bike and its owner sped away towards the Duel Academy Entrance Test Grounds.

And with a sigh, John shook his head and returned to watching the monitors, catching from the corner of his eye the bike disappearing from view in one of the cameras.

“These youngsters sure need to watch their schedule…”

**-O-**

“Come on come on COME ON!”

Did I mention I was glad to have taken some time to practice driving this bike?

Because by God, learning to drive this Paradox Duel Tricycle was quite an experience.

I mean sure, it’s fast and big enough to act like a car, and the fact it was a tricycle meant that me not knowing how to ride a _bi_ cycle didn’t come into play. But it also handles like a drunk rhinoceros, the control levers were beyond weird, and that maximum speed had more than once meant I almost drove the thing into the wall.

But now? Now I was thanking my lucky stars that this thing was fast. Because _fast_ was what I needed right now as I burned rubber to the Dueling Center, hoping and praying that I made it in time.

And unlike Jaden, I wouldn’t have the reasonable reason of “the trains were late so that cost me time” to cover my mistake.

…

Oh, great, and now the light was red!

With an annoyed growl, I hit the brakes and screeched to a halt just beneath the traffic light, the engine lowering itself from a roar to a low rumbling as the bike stopped. Yet when I looked around, I saw no cars either beside or cruising past me.

… Come to think of it… there wasn’t even a police officer to ticket me if I ran the light.

A mischievous grin split my face as I revved the engine to life, taking one last look at my surroundings to make sure that I was completely alone before I started breaking traffic laws. And to my mild disappointment, I could see someone come running out of the park in a hurry. It was a young man with short, messy brown hair, wearing a grey coat and with… A Duel Disk on… His… Arm…

“Come on, come on, come on, gotta hurry!”

And right there, my brain forced itself into a reboot as I realized that right now, barreling like a madman in my direction, was one of the best Duelists in the planet, and the center of the future’s wildest happenings. Thankfully, my brain had the decency to be fast in its restart, enough that when the boy was just about to turn away, I rammed my hand into the bike’s horn, just barely managing to catch his attention before giving him a wave. “Hey there!” I called out in as forced of a calm tone as I could. “You going to the Entrance Exam too?”

“Huh? Oh, uhh, yeah I am!” he replied somewhat dumbfoundedly, staring at the admittedly weird image that was me sitting on a hawk-like tricycle.

“Well, me too! Hop in, I’ll give you a lift!”

“Really?! Thanks, dude, you’re a lifesaver!”

And with a big-ass charming grin, the young man ran up to me and leapt into the back of the bike’s seat just as the light turned green, gripping the edge of it tightly as I revved the engine back to life.

And for the many years to come, I’d always look back fondly to that day, and how it began all the wild, _wild_ adventures that were to come.

The day that I first met Jaden Yuki.

**-O-**

Five minutes later, we both plowed our way into the parking lot of the testing ground, with me making extra sure to both park close to the entrance and to rev the engine _extra loud_ so they heard us coming. And indeed, the roaring bike caught the attention of the two Ra Yellow students and the school official that had been waiting at the entrance, the three of them watching dumbfounded as me and Jaden ran up to the entrance with our Duel Disks already on our arms.

“Examinee #110, Jaden Yuki!”

“Examinee #69, Drake Atlas. We still in time, right?”

“Umm… Yes, you are still eligible,” said the official, before motioning to the girls behind him. “Please present your documentation and sign the presence sheet.”

With a quick flourish of the pen and another moment to allow them to search through Jaden’s backpack, we were both allowed to enter the dome, making our way through the hallways in a far more relaxed pace than before.

And just as we left, the school officer pulled his cellphone from inside his suit pocket, hit the “quick dial” button and wait, with only two rings playing before the caller picked up.

“ _Scusi, Doctor Crowler speaking.”_

“He’s here, doctor.”

“ _… Molto bene. We will make the preparations. Grazie.”_

**-O-**

“Man, again, thanks for the ride there,” called out Jaden as he paced beside me, a big smile on his face and with hands behind his head as he walked. “I don’t even wanna imagine what would have happened if I missed out on this!”

“You and me both, dude,” I replied with a smile of my own, hands in my pockets as I stared at the ceiling. “I’d rather lose my spot in a duel then by being late. At least it’s more dignified.”

“Heheh, guess you’re right! But I’m not worried about that, either, cause I don’t plan on losing to anyone!”

And hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Turns out the kid’s enthusiasm really was borderline radioactive in person too… Though now that I got a good look at him, “kid” wasn’t exactly the right word.

I had already grown accustomed to the fact that, apparently, my perception had been “naturalized” for lack of a better word. And yet still, I could see that Jaden was… Different than what I remembered. He was taller, his semblance looked older, his hair was longer… If I had to say, he looked not unlike his appearance at the “Bonds Beyond Time” movie. If I had to hazard a guess? I’d say he was around my age, nineteen or so… Which made sense, if Duel Academy was indeed an university instead of a high school institution. That did mean that everyone _else_ would be older as well… Wow, that would be an _awkward_ school time if that was the case…

It was the third time of the day, however, that my thoughts were interrupted as we exited the tunnel and found ourselves in a balcony high above a wide dueling area, where several dozens of students sat on and watched intently as the new blood showed what they had to offer to the Academy. Obelisk Blue, Slifer Red, Ra Yellow… All present, and all most likely with their own thoughts on what every Duelist could do. And lo and behold, I could see three figures of interest up in the higher stands: one was a young man draped in blue, looking down with no amount of disdain at anyone beneath him. The other two were a young woman in a… _Surprisingly_ more conservative uniform that what I would expect out of the school, with long dark blond hair and hazel eyes, while beside her stood an older man with long blue hair and cold, calculating blue eyes scanning the entrants, a finger slowly tapping his bicep.

And while Chazz did not see me, I caught sight of both Alexis and Zane watching us from above, even if Jaden remained oblivious as he made his way over to the guard rail and stood right beside the little bundle of light-blue mop hair and nervousness that was Syrus Truesdale.

… Seriously, _how_ was he still that short? Did the kid just eject all milk from his body during childhood?

Well, best make the most of this situation, huh?

I turned and stared directly at the two Obelisk Blues, and with a grin, gave them a two-finger salute with the arm my Duel Disk was on, before walking up to join Jaden. And off the corner of my eye, I saw reactions that only made my smile wider: while Alexis stared at me with a mix of surprise and amusement, while Zane’s expression had shifted into a stony glare, though whether of annoyance or defiance, I couldn’t really tell, but I did know one thing: Zane was gonna be watching my Duel _very_ closely.

“I see you’re making new friends already, Jaden,” I called out as I leaned over the railing, carefully eyeing the Duels finishing below us. Further into the back I saw Bastion begin his match against his assigned inspector, the two apparently still content on exchanging some polite words to one another. “And here I thought we had something special.”

“Hey come on, Drake, you know how it is: the more friends, the merrier!” replied Yuki with a grin as he draped an arm over my shoulders. “The faster we meet our schoolmates the better, right?”

“Heh… Yeah, guess so.” I then turned to the boy I already knew and knew the path of, but still looked forward to watching more personally. “So what’s your name, buddy?”

I _almost_ cringed when Syrus seemed to curl into himself, looking at the two of us nervously before slightly straightening his posture. “Umm… I-I’m Syrus… Nice to meet you, uhh…?”

“Atlas. Drake Atlas. And this happiness reactor here is—”

“ _Examinee #110, Jaden Yuki. Please present yourself to Duel Field Four._ ”

“Oop, my turn to shine guys! Cheer for me, will ya?” And with a cheerful wave, Jaden ran down the stairs two steps at a time, already preparing his Duel Disk and Deck as he made his way to the designated arena, where I could already see an awaiting instructor and _not_ Dr. Crowler. Hopefully that would keep the animosity between the two to a minimum, or at least until Jaden started being… Well, Jaden.

A comfortable silence settled between us as we watched Jaden duel against the instructor. Funnily enough, I recognized the deck the faculty was using: it was a Shinato Ritual Deck, like the ones they’d use against you in the GBA game. And Jaden was doing great against it too! So not only would he get the chance to show off his game, but it was also against a pretty tough Deck. And judging by the way the students were turning heads to watch him, Jaden was still gonna end up a hot topic for some time.

“He sure has a lot of confidence…” muttered Syrus beside me as he watched Jaden break through the absolute _bullshit_ of a card that was Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness. “I’m so jealous…”

… Right, I forgot, Syrus started this whole thing as the most absolutely insecure kid ever, and with a high-class Duelist brother in the same school… Well, let’s help out with that.

“Hey, think of it this way, kid,” I spoke up as I put my hand onto his head and ruffled his hair (And wow, it felt _soft_. Maybe I should ask about his shampoo). “If you always look down, you won’t see the path ahead of ya. You gotta keep your eyes on the horizon you’re aiming for, and make sure the world knows you’re coming through!” I made sure to cap off the pep talk with an extra boisterous laugh before letting go of Syrus’ head, and thankfully rather than looking annoyed by my gesture, the kid actually looked pensive about it… A bit. But hey, small steps, am I right?

Again I peeped at Zane from the corner of my eye, and thankfully he was not staring at me murderously for my gesture at his little brother… Still couldn’t make heads or tails of _what_ he was thinking though, dude was sure hard to read.

“ _Examinee #69, Drake Atlas. Please present yourself to Duel Field One.”_

“Here we go… My time to shine. See ya later, Syrus, shout for me up here, will ya?” And so, leaving the dumbfounded blue-haired boy as I readied myself for the Duel that would decide my entire future… You know, no pressure at all.

“Hey hey, at least some of us seem ready for the school. He’s a credit for us entrants.”

Syrus almost jumped when a very youthful voice piped up to the other side of him right as Drake entered the doorway of the arena’s access tunnel, that once he turned to stare at the speaker he realized belonged to a boy almost younger than even himself, with light cyan hair tied up into a short ponytail and brilliant emerald eyes, a lollipop stick poking out from between his lips

“Oops. Sorry about the scare there, didn’t mean to do that.”

“U-Umm… It’s fine, no worries. I-I’m Syrus Truesdale.”

“Ehh, the Kaiser’s little brother, huh? Nice to meet you, Syrus. I’m Sora, Sora Perse.”

**-O-**

I won’t lie, I had some maximum anxiety hammering in my chest, and yet… That excited me. It really, _really_ did. This was going to be my first physical Duel in this world, with physical cards and a Duel Disk in my arm. I mean sure, I ran plenty of virtual duels online (a request of Pegasus was that I did not play public duels, to “make your first experience with your new cards all the more exciting and memorable!”), but now I would be standing right across from my opponent, cards in hand and watching my monsters come to life! The absolute dream of every duelist back home, and I was gonna be living it!

And you better believe I was gonna win this.

Taking one last calming breath, I stepped onto the circular platform in front of me, and a moment after it began to rise onto the hole above where my opponent awaited me. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath… And once I felt the platform stop, I let out the air and opened my eyes to face my opponent.

“ _Buon giorno_!”

…

Shit.

**-O-**

_Industrial Illusions, Pegasus’ office…_

“Father, are you sure of this?” asked Sigmund as he, his brother and father watched the image of Drake Atlas in the large TV screen as he stood across from his opponent, Dr. Vellian Crowler. “We have yet to confirm his Dueling skills with his own decks, perhaps an instructor would suffice for his exam.”

“And that is precisely why he must face a challenge such as this, my son,” replied the senior Pegasus, his hands interlaced and resting comfortably on his lap. “Let him prove his passion for the game through a trial by fire, and show that he deserves the loyalty and love his cards show for him.”

“And may I remind you, brother, that he has shown his Dueling skills through virtual matches,” added Roderick, his expression carefully neutral. “All he must do now is prove the same merit in a true field of battle.”

**-O-**

“Well, _signor_? It is common courtesy to introduce oneself when someone bids you welcome!” called out the… _uniquely looking_ Dr. Crowler as he readied that massive Duel Disk of his. And judging by his expression, he was _not_ happy to be dueling me. If I had to hazard a guess for the reason? He probably thought me a nobody duelist who was most likely a waste of time. Something I’d enjoy proving him wrong about.

Nevertheless, I allowed myself to smile, and gave the man a polite bow. “Drake Atlas, presenting to the field of battle, professor,” I spoke aloud, making sure that my voice carried to the rest of the arena. In response, the teacher let out a short scoff, choosing instead to scrutinize me from top to bottom.

“Hmph. Well, it seems you _do_ have some manners, after all. I am Doctor Vellian Crowler, overseer of Duel Academy’s practical training course,” he replied proudly as he slotted a Deck ( _his_ Deck, most likely) into the dome in his chest. “Allow me to warn you, _signor_ Atlas: Duel Academy is reserved only to the most elite of duelists. Should your performance prove unsatisfactory to me, I will not hesitate to bar you from our hallowed gates, is that clear?”

“Yes, professor, crystal so.”

“Hmm. _Biene_. Then prepare yourself to--”

“However, if I may beforehand, professor Crowler?”

That apparently threw him for a loop, judging by the way he stumbled figuratively and literally on what I assumed was going to be some grandiose threat about our duel. The man then proceeded to give me the mother of all stink-eyes before straightening his posture once more. “And what would that be, _signor_ Atlas?”

“Well, I thought we could at least be honest with each other on some level, professor… If you know what I mean,” I continued, still with an innocent tone as I withdrew the metallic casing from my bandolier, a wide smile in my face as I looked at the emblazoned _SHS/S_ in it. “Why not reveal something about our Decks before we start a match? You know, to show something about us?” Unfortunately, it seemed Crowler did not share of the whole “sporting spirit”, because the response to my wholly innocent request was a scoff and a wave of hand.

“ _Signor_ Atlas, let me remind you that we are a prestigious institution of education, not games. Such distractions are wholly unnecessary, understand?”

“Hmm… Well in that case, I’ll do it myself.” And in as theatrical a gesture as I could, I withdrew the deck from its case and spread them apart from one another, showing the back of all fifty cards to the professor. “Professor Crowler, this Deck of mine that will beat you… It doesn’t hold a single Spell or Trap Card within it. All fifty cards in my hand are Monsters.”

Yup, there was the reaction I wanted. Both Crowler and the rest of the people on the seats above us gasped in shock at my declaration, and I could hear muttering from a few asking if I had lost my mind or something.

On the railings, Syrus and Sora stared in shock and amusement respectively, each with their own thoughts on the loud-mouth they had witnessed.

Up in the highest seats, Chazz Princeton sneered, even as his two flunkies kept gaping at the fool standing at the Duel Arena. “Only Monsters? Heh, guess he’s some kind of idiot or something,” spoke the Obelisk candidate as he put his arms over the chairs on each side of him. “A fool like that has no place in our Academy.”

Further above him, however, the reactions were far less hostile, if not any less shocked.

“A deck with no Spells or Traps…” muttered Alexis as she stared in surprise at the boisterous young man below. “How can something like that defeat a faculty member?” Beside her, Zane spoke nothing and his expression betrayed no thoughts, but in his mind the questions ran free.

‘ _This person… Drake Atlas, just what kind of Duelist are you?’_

And Crowler? He simply chuckled, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head. “What madness, only monsters? A Deck as foolishly built as that will never—”

“HOLD YOUR TONGUE!”

**-O-**

“W-What in the…”

“Mhmhmhm… And there it is, my sons. His Dueling Spirit… It has finally surfaced~”

**-O-**

The sudden shout of anger made the professor jump, and once more he found himself surprised by the strange young man standing across from him… But this time, it was the expression of unbridled fury in my face that made him recoil.

“This Deck of mine has been by my side for all these years… It has my heart and soul burning brightly in each card!” I almost roared as I placed the Deck onto my Duel Disk. “I won’t allow you to speak of it so lightly! Speak with your cards if you want to prove me wrong!” Said Disk’s borders glowed in rainbow colors as the arm extended and revealed the entire playfield in it, and an announcer-like voice echoed from within it.

**_GAME SET. DUEL, READY!_ **

“Duel!”/”Duel!”

DRAKE ATLAS: 4000LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 4000LP

“I’m blazing ahead! Draw!” I shouted, pulling a card from my Deck before looking at my hand… Heh, a solid start right out of the gate. Pity the big guy would need some set-up to summon… Or a good draw.

“Here I come! I summon Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler!”

As soon as I withdrew the card from my hand and near-slammed it onto the Duel Disk, I felt my heart throb as the circuitry glowed in multicolored lights, and a glowing yellow circle sprung to life a few feet ahead from me. And from it, emerged a blue robot-like warrior in large, thick armor with two massive gauntlets around his hands.

The first monster I ever summoned in this world, in my first official duel… Rising from the ground came Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler ( **ATK 0 /DEF 2000** )

“ _C-Cosa_?! What is that card, I’ve never heard of it before!” shouted Crowler in shock as he recoiled, a reaction shared by the rest of the attending students.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, professor,” I replied with a smirk as I crossed my arms. “I told you before: this Deck is my soul! You won’t find an easy victory against me!”

To his credit, Crowler quickly recovered from the surprise, and that proudful, condescending expression returned to his face. “You may talk all you want, but your decision is still poor in the end!” he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger to Blue Brawler. “With 0 Attack points, you still place him in Attack Mode?”

“Not so fast, teach! Blue Brawler’s effect activates when he’s summoned to the field, allowing me to change him to Defense Mode!” And indeed, as soon as I finished speaking, Brawler knelt onto the ground and pressed his gauntlets together, like a wall between me and Crowler. “And with that, I end my turn. Now come at me, Vellian Crowler!”

“Tch… Very well then. Allow me to show you what a true Deck can do! My turn, draw!” shouted back the professor, running a hand next to his Duel Coat as a card flew out automatically into his grasp. Crowler regarded it for a moment before replacing it with another from his hand. “I activate a Spell Card, Ancient Gear Castle!”

From the ground behind him, a large castle adorned with weapons, tools and gears rose into existence, making the Duel arena shake and tremble. “Next, I summon Ancient Gear Soldier! Come forth!” This time, a circle of light appeared in front of the professor, bringing to life a tall knight-like robot made of gears and metal plates, with a gear-like rifle in place of its right hand ( **ATK 1300/DEF 1300** ). “Finally, I equip my Soldier with the Equip Spell Card, Ancient Gear Tank!” Next to the robot appeared a bike-like machine with a cannon at the front and a metal cover over the single seat in it, into which the robot quickly sat onto. “Ancient Gear Tank increases the Attack Points of my Soldier by 600! Furthermore, Ancient Gear Castle increases it further by another 300! A counter is also added to my castle due to the summoning of an Ancient Gear monster while it was on the field!” ( **ATK 1300 - > 2200**).

“That card… I’ve never heard of these ‘Superheavy Samurais’ before,” said Alexis, her eyes shifting their gaze between both Duelists. “And those Ancient Gear cards…”

“They’re not part of any instructor Deck,” spoke up Zane, his eyes transfixed on the Duel. “Those are cards from his personal Deck… And that means we may witness a very rare card being played, should he last long enough against it.”

With a malevolent grin, Crowler pointed at my Samurai, who remained unmoving and impassive in the face of the stronger monster in front of it. “Ancient Gear Soldier, show this boy what true Dueling is! **Heavy Bombardment**!” With the command issued, the tank-riding machine aimed its gun right at Blue Brawler, and a moment later fired it against my monster. A cannonball the size of my head impacted against Brawler’s gauntlets, kicking up a massive cloud of smoke that enveloped both him and me and sending a blast wave that nearly kicked me off my feet. “Ohohohohoho! _Bene_! It seems all your talk was indeed nothing but that!”

“You might want to rethink that, professor.”

As the dust cleared, I took not a small amount of pleasure at seeing Crowler stumble in his gloating when the sight of both me and Blue Brawler being completely unharmed, with the Superheavy Samurai even slamming his gauntlets together as a taunt.

“ _Ma come?!_ ” nearly shrieked the man in response, waving his arms frantically. “Ancient Gear Soldier is stronger than your monster! He should have turned into scrap metal!”

“And that’s where you’re wrong!” I shouted back with a sweep of my arm. “Blue Brawler’s effect means he can’t be destroyed by battle! Doesn’t matter what attack you throw at it, he won’t give an inch away!”

“Ghgh… I end my turn.”

“Here I come then! My turn, DRAW!... Heh. This wall’s about to become even fiercer, professor! I summon Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!” Beside Blue Brawler another robot samurai rose, this one with deep-red colored armor, a naginata in one hand and a hammerhead on the other ( **ATK 1000/DEF 1800** ). “And just like Blue Brawler, his effect allows me to change him to Defense position once he’s summoned! With that, I end my turn.”

“Hmph… It seems for all your bravado, all you can do is defend… Then allow me to take charge of the offense! It is my turn! Draw!”

**-O-**

On the far-side of the arena, two young women watched the duel with differing types of excitement. One, a shorter girl with shockingly pink short hair, golden eyes and a massive cylinder strapped to her back, was sitting atop the rail and was filled with joyful excitement. The other, a taller girl with long silver hair and bright pink eyes, stood beside the first girl with her arms crossed under her chest, and felt an exhilarating curiosity at seeing the young man duel the teacher.

“That guy ain’t half bad, huh?” asked the pinkette as she swung her legs. “A bit too defensive for my taste, but I can respect it.” The older girl chuckled in response, running a hand through her hair and tilting her head slightly.

“Yes, and such wondrous passion… He will be a most wonderful opponent, indeed.”

“Hehe, that is _if_ he beats up the doc!”

Chazz, however, could hardly believe what was happening. This… No name whoever was actually standing his ground against Crowler! And his cards… Chazz was well-versed in the world of Duel Monsters, and his brothers’ connections gave him easy access to information on almost every card that existed, and yet he had never seen or heard of cards like those before… Could he actually be someone to watch out for… No, that was unthinkable! He would win, always, because that’s what he needed to do! And no one would stand in his path, no matter who!

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Syrus and Sora found themselves joined once more by Jaden, who was followed closely by Bastion Misawa. “Hey Syrus!... Oh hi, guess you got a new friend huh?” The young man swiftly walked up to Sora and offered him his hand. “Hey there, name’s Jaden Yuki!”

“Sora Perse,” replied the shorter boy as he took Jaden’s offered hand and shook it with surprising strength. “I saw you fighting that Shinato Deck down there. You got some sweet moves, bud.” Sora then pulled the lollipop from his mouth and waved it towards Bastion with a playful smirk. “You too, Number Two. Good thinking with that Ring of Destruction.”

“Thank you for the praise,” replied Misawa calmly, offering a smile of his own before his expression shifted to confusion. “… Wait, Number Two?”

“Well yeah, obviously. After all, I’m the Number One around here~”

“Hey now, hold on!” called out Jaden with a grin, pointing at himself with his thumb. “How can you say that when the true Number One is standing right here?”

“Uhh… Guys, how about we focus on the Duels and… Decide who’s first later?” spoke up Syrus shyly as he pointed at the dueling field below them, which thankfully _did_ draw the attention of the three Duelists back to the battle between the teacher and the boastful applicant.

And it seemed the heat was only rising between them.

**-O-**

“Well then, _signor_ , allow me to give you a _proper_ taste of the power of my Ancient Gear monsters!” shouted Crowler as he took the card ejected by his Deck, an evil smirk splitting his face as he showed it to me. “I tribute Ancient Gear Soldier, and summon in its place Ancient Gear Beast!”

The metal robot had its body enveloped by a bright light that flashed beside the tank and shaped itself from a humanoid to a quadruped form. And where once stood a soldier, now stood a large wolf-like robot, with a single glowing yellow eye on its head ( **ATK 2000 - > 2300/DEF 2000**) “And of course, let us not forget my Spell Cards! Another counter is added to my Castle! But most importantly… Since Ancient Gear Tank is sent to the Graveyard, you take 600 points of damage!”

As soon as the words finished exiting his mouth, the abandoned vehicle’s engine sprung to life and sped forward towards me as it began to crack and light poured through said cracks. Just as I braced, the tank exploded, sending a blast wave over me that for a holographic construct felt a bit _too_ real, though luckily I managed to stand my ground.

DRAKE ATLAS: 3400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 4000

“Next, I’ll equip Ancient Gear Beast with Ancient Gear Fist!” And to my surprise, said fist _did_ materialize onto the wolf… Only it was mounted on the machine’s _chest_ , like a weird fist-shaped missile. “Now, let us be rid of that meddlesome blue wall! Ancient Gear Beast, attack his Blue Brawler!” With an air-splitting howl, the wolf obeyed the command and dashed towards Blue Brawler, who once more raised his gauntlets defiantly. But this time, I knew it was useless, something Crowler was quick to pile on when he saw my grimace. “And judging by the look on your face, you’re aware of what’s about to happen to your monster! Any monster that stays on the field after being attacked by an Ancient Gear monster equipped with Ancient Gear Fist is destroyed after battle!”

The Beast leapt into the air and fired the fist-missile right between Blue Brawler’s raised gauntlets, striking the robot square in the head. Lightning erupted from the point of impact, and a second later Blue Brawler vanished in an explosion that once more whipped up gales around us. “Ghg… Fine then, I activate Swordsman effect! When one of your monsters battles one of my Superheavy Samurais, your monster’s Attack and Defense points become zero after calculation!”

Swordsman’s eyes flashed brightly as it brought its hammer arm down onto the ground, sending a shockwave of energy towards the Ancient Gear Beast as it landed. When the ability connected, the mechanical wolf let out a garbled electronic howl, its posture slackening before laying onto the ground ( **ATK 2300 - > 300/DEF 2000 -> 0**). Crowler looked at his monster indignantly before turning back to me with a thoroughly annoyed expression, and I could tell the man’s patience was running thin. “ _Cazzo…_ I end my turn.”

“Mind your mouth, teacher, there’s students watching,” I taunted with a grin, pulling another card from my Deck as I watched a few extra veins pop up on his forehead. A quick glance at my latest draw showed that my main hitter wouldn’t yet be hitting the field… So I suppose it was time for some accessorizing. “How about I go on the offensive, then? Time to show you how my Samurais grow stronger! First, I switch Swordsman to Attack Mode!” And at my command, the warrior took a more open stance, readying his weapons for combat. But he wouldn’t be using that naginata so soon, not when I had something better for him. “Next, I’ll equip him with Superheavy Samurai Soulpiercer!” I slotted the card into a Spell/Trap Zone, and in response a large blue crossbow materialized onto Swordsman’s right arm, replacing his naginata. “Battle time! Swordsman, attack his Ancient Gear Beast with **Soul Arrow**!”

The samurai complied with my command and aimed its newly acquired weapon, a bright yellow bolt forming into an ethereal arrow that was now aimed directly at the prone metallic wolf. And with an all-mighty _BANG_ , the arrow shot from the crossbow and tore a hole through the Ancient Gear Beast, with the wolf exploding not a moment later.

DRAKE ATLAS: 3400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 3300 LP

“And that’s it for my turn.”

This time, Crowler said nothing. He simply took another card from his deck—

… That smile did not look good for me.

**-O-**

“Here it comes.”

Zane’s hands tightened around his arms as he saw Crowler grin at the card he had just drawn, a card he could faintly see with a small squint of his eyes. Alexis, however, instead looked at her childhood friend in abject confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Crowler’s ace monster, and one of his rarest cards… We are all about to witness it.”

**-O-**

“Let us see how you face this challenge, Atlas boy.”

**-O-**

“Prepare yourself, _Mister_ Atlas! For you are about to face might beyond that of your paltry monsters!” shouted Crowler as he readied the card he had just drawn dramatically. My only response was to grit my teeth and growl in anger, both at whatever he had planned, and for yet _another_ insult at my cards. “Since Ancient Gear Castle has two counters upon it, I can use it as a replacement for the two tributes needed to summon this card onto the field!”

The castle behind Crowler crumbled into pieces, debris smoke enveloping both him and his side of the field, obscuring everything from view. Suddenly, a single piercing red light lit up amidst the grey clouds that began to rise… And rise…

And when the dust began to clear, I realized that I had given Jaden too little credit when he stared down this thing. Because right now, I was staring at an absolute _colossus_ of a mech, all aged metal and gears… And a cruel red eye gazing down at me and my Swordsman.

“I Tribute Summon _Ancient Gear Golem_!” ( **ATK 3000/DEF 3000** ). Crowler cackled loudly as his monster took a step forward, again _somehow_ making the entire arena shake and almost making me fall to the ground. “I believe now is the time that you shall see that no defense lasts in the face of this monster, _signor_ Atlas! Now, Ancient Gear Golem, attack his Swordsman! **Ultimate Pound!** ”

I watched in dreadful preparation as the colossus reared its arm back, aimed squarely at the far-smaller Swordsman, who to his credit braced himself for the impact just as Blue Brawler had done before him. And just as before, when the Golem threw its fist forward, the defense mattered not. The impact felt and _was_ like a bomb going off right in front of me, the resulting shockwave sweeping me from my feet and throwing me against the far back wall like a rag doll. The impact I suffered was _far_ more real, unfortunately, and I felt the pain flare in my back when I hit the heavy metal wall behind me. Goddammit, how could holograms _do this_?!

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 3300 LP

“Ohohohohoh! It seems your spirit is as weak as your cards, _signor_ Atlas! I end my turn. Though of course, things shall be finished come my next one!”

… That… _Did it_.

**-O-**

“Wow, teach isn’t slacking off at all.”

“Oh man… Isn’t there anything he can do?!”

“Unfortunately not,” replied Bastion to Syrus, his expression stony and a calculating spark in his eyes. “Even if he places his monster in Defense Mode, Ancient Gear Golem can inflict piercing damage to any monster with lower defense than its attack points. And with an empty field, I doubt he can bring forth a monster strong enough to challenge it… His situation is grim.”

“Heh… You got it wrong there, Second.”

The three turned towards Sora, and were surprised to see the boy with a wide, almost evil grin in his face, his gaze split between the gloating teacher and what he knew was a powder keg about to blow. “See, teach might have just gone a _little_ bit too far there.” And with a loud _crunch_ , Sora turned the lollipop in his mouth into fine dust, before pulling the stick and pointing to Atlas. “And he’s about to get a taste of humble pie force fed to him~”

**-O-**

“Oi oi, the rookie looks pissed!”

“Such glorious anger... How beautiful!”

**-O-**

“… I told you before, didn’t I, _professor_ …”

Now I’ll admit, my temper slips… _Kinda_ easy when I’m passionate about something. It got me in trouble more than once in my younger years, and at least once that I remember, it turned physical. After I got out of school and stopped having a lot of social contact, that wasn’t really a problem.

Unfortunately for all of us, Crowler made the mistake of… Well, less pushing my buttons and more slamming them with a hammer. The results were, of course…

“NEVER LOOK DOWN ON MY CARDS!”

Predictable.

“I activate Soulpiercer’s effect!” I almost roared as I stepped forward, almost ripping the Deck out of my Duel Disk. “When it is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Superheavy monster to my hand! And the monster I choose is Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!” Once I placed the Deck back into the slot, I vaguely noticed the auto-shuffler firing up and quickly re-shuffling my Deck, but I was too busy being ABSOLUTELY LIVID to really care. Plus, my whole “stream acting” bit was starting to pick up steam, and I can only really focus on a couple of things at once, so rage and dueling it’ll be. “Vellian Crowler… You said you’ll finish this on your next turn, but you’re wrong! Because YOU WON’T HAVE A NEXT TURN! I DRAW!”

It was clear that the teacher did not expect my outburst, going by the way he once more recoiled, but right now I couldn’t really care. Because right now, Crowler’s attitude against “non-elites” could use a little early trimming. And with the card I had just drawn, things were set to be finished. “Since I have no Spells or Traps in the grave, I can Special Summon the card I added to my hand! Come forth, Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!” Once more a monster joined my field, this one appearing in a blue flash: a metal robot shaped like two sandals pressed together ( **ATK 800/DEF 1800** ). “And just like that castle of yours, he can count as two tributes to summon a Machine-type Monster!”

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

A pillar of light erupted from the ground and enveloped Waraji right as the robot disappeared into light motes, before growing bigger… And bigger… _And bigger_.

“Unyielding sentinel who stands above all warriors, clad in steel and born of fire! Rise, and become a fortress unmatched by any!”

And from within the light… A _titan_ rose.

“COME FORTH! SUPERHEAVY SAMURAI BIG BENKEI!”

**-O-**

In the office of one of the most prolific companies of the whole world, as he watched the Duel unfold, a king smiled.

**-O-**

All gathered students watched in awe as my summoned monster rose from the light, standing as tall as Crowler’s Ancient Gear Golem. But whereas the golem was an aged, skeletal construct, this giant was smooth, clad in heavy armor and had the appearance of a stout warrior with exhaust pipes on his shoulders, a gas mask and a pronged naginata.

Standing watch over me, the unbreakable iron fortress: Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei ( **ATK 1000/DEF 3500** ).

“T… _Thirty-five hundred Defense Points?!_ ” shrieked Crowler as he looked up at the robot warrior that stood at the ready between us. “There is no way! A normal monster can’t be this strong!”

“And he’s about to get even stronger! First, Big Benkei’s effect switches him to Defense Mode when he’s summoned!” The massive warrior shifted his stance, holding his naginata across from his body in a guarded stance, yet he did not kneel. “Then, I take both Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall and Superheavy Samurai Soulhorns and equip them onto Benkei!”

Just as before, I placed both Soul cards onto the Spell/Trap slots, materializing onto the field a gargantuan green shield with scale patterns, and a massive white helmet with two large blue horns. In a spew of flames, the shield flew towards Benkei and slammed onto his left arm, while the helmet split in half and slotted itself onto the samurai’s shoulders. If before he had been a metaphorical fortress, now Benkei certainly looked the part, dwarfing Ancient Gear Golem by sheer mass. “Now let me tell you a secret about my samurais, professor… All of them, to the last, are the greatest shields I wield. They do not waver, no matter what tries to strike them down,” and as if to mark my words, Benkei slammed his shield onto the ground, rumbling what felt like the entire dome.

And when I opened my eyes, to this day Jaden _swore_ he saw fire inside them. “But when they are given these souls… They become truly unbreakable! Soulshield Wall increases Benkei’s Defense points by 1200!” ( **DEF 3500 - > 4700**). “Now, LET’S BATTLE!”

“Battle?! What are you talking about, your monster is in Defense Mode!”

“The greatest defense is also the mightiest offense, Crowler! When Big Benkei is in Defense Mode, I can battle using his Defense points for calculation!”

The gasps of surprise and shock from the crowd were as one, a howl of sound in response to my declaration, yet I barely noticed. My blood boiled, my heart raced… My soul was aflame. This… _This was Dueling_!

“ _N-Non può essere!_ ”

“It ends here, Vellian Crowler! Go, Big Benkei! Strike down his Golem with **Greater Heat Impact!** ”

With a blast of steam and a flash of red in his eyes, Benkei blasted forward, rearing his shield arm back as the two boosters in the weapon came alight and trailed bright flames behind the machine warrior. The Golem remained immobile, simply staring at the encroaching attack… And when the shield slammed onto the ancient machine, it tore the golem into pieces, catapulting its demolished body back like a bullet. The resulting shockwave fluttered the clothes of all present, not the least of which Crowler himself, who was almost sent flying by the blow, but managed to stay his feet.

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 1600 LP

“C-Curses—”

“NOT OVER YET! WHILE SOULSHIELD INCREASES BENKEI’S DEFENSE POINTS, SOULHORN INSTEAD ALLOWS HIS TO ATTACK TWICE EACH TURN!”

**-O-**

“It’s over.”

“Wow…”

“Impossible!”

**-O-**

“Hell yeah, finish it!”

“Strike him down!”

**-O-**

“Great Scott…”

“N-No way!”

“Game over, teach~”

“Yeah, you go, Drake!”

**-O-**

It was at that moment that Crowler looked up in nervous fear, and was met with the unflinching stare of the titan standing over him. The professor barely had time to swallow the dry lump on his throat before he found himself staring down the twin engines of the Soulshield Wall… That were slowly coming alight once more.

“ **IRON FLAME PUNISHER**!”

And as the giant pillar of fire consumed Crowler…

It was over.

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 0 LP

**_DUEL END! VICTORY!_ **

**-O-**

Inside Pegasus’ office, none of the three occupants moved, simply staring with a hurricane of emotions at the screen as holographic monsters vanished, and the shape of Drake Atlas began pacing towards the prone teacher. Yet all three Pegasi had a contented smile on their faces, foremost of them Maximillion Pegasus himself. It seemed that in the end, his gamble had been correct… What a most pleasant resolution.

 _Funny Bunny, Funny Bunny, better watch out! Here comes Ruff Ruff to take you down_ —

In one fluid motion, Pegasus withdrew his cellphone from his pocket, hit the call button on it and placed it against his ear. “Well, what did you think?”

“…”

“Oh don’t lie, you most certainly enjoyed the show.”

“…”

“Yes, I suppose he _does_ showboat a bit too excessively. But then again…”

**-O-**

“Let me tell you one last advice, professor…” I spoke far more calmly now, as I stood over the prone form of Vellian Crowler. “You may have thought of me as a nobody… But that’s where you’re wrong.”

And with the arm holding my Duel Disk held high, I turned my gaze to the seats above, to the panel of teachers and examiners.

“THERE’S ONLY ONE KING IN THIS WORLD! **AND HIS NAME’S DRAKE ATLAS!** ”

**-O-**

“What is a good duel without some theatricals?~”

**~O~**

***bursts through the walls Kool-Aid Man style***

**I MADE IT, I MADE IT IN TIME, Y’ALL CAN’T LYNCH ME!**

**For those outside of SpaceBattles unaware of what I’m saying, I promised there that the chapter would come out at latest on Tuesday. It’s still Tuesday, so I win.**

**This honestly ended up extending a _lot_ more than I expected an introduction day/Duel written by me to go for, but I started getting _waaaaaaaaaaaay_ into the theatricals… Probably doesn’t help that I _do_ take acting classes in a theater school, and we’re choosing a play that requires being real hammy… So yeah, one thing led to another.**

**I can also confirm that yes, I’d be that hammy when dueling. I tend to get a bit _too_ much into some stuff.**

**But ye, here we go! Apologies for the delay, everyone.**

**Next time, on TheLandMaster… Charge the Heavens! Until then!**


	3. Chapter 2.5

Two hours after the end of the practical tests and all the students having left the dome arena, the faculty teams still remained in the building, making sure to clean up and finish compiling all the recordings and data collected from their duels. Most of the work had already been finished, thankfully… Except for that of two teachers: the Obelisk Blue headmasters.

With a groan, Crowler took the ice bag offered by Ms. Fontaine and pressed it against his forehead, shivering slightly as he felt the cold touch his skin. “ _Dolce madre di misericordia..._ Chancellor, the next time I am asked to challenge an applicant personally, please be courteous enough to warn me when they’re this… _Eccentric_.” Of course, his superior chose that exact moment to let out a louder, heartful laugh, which only served to worsen the teacher’s brutal headache.

“ _Well, I will say the same to you, Dr. Crowler! Perhaps this will serve as a lesson to hold back on your own acting, wouldn’t you agree?_ ”

“Provided I receive the _warning_ to do so, then certainly…”

“ _Yes, yes, no need to worry… Now, professor, about the focus duelists…”_

“Hmph… Very well.” Still holding the ice bag onto his head, Crowler reached for a controller sitting atop a table next to him, aimed it at another monitor and pressed a few buttons. Said monitor lit up and revealed the pictures of nine different young adults: three women and six men. “Let us begin with our most… _Spirited_ applicant. Chancellor, you’ve said that there was no information on _signor_ Atlas prior to the application?”

“ _Correct. His documentation is legitimate, and so was his application through Industrial Illusions, but otherwise he remains a mystery_.”

“Hm. Well, he’s certainly well-versed in dueling, at the very least. Wherever Atlas studied or learned before, it is ingrained naturally onto him. I cannot say with utmost certainty without having a thorough look at his Deck, but the boy knows its mechanics and intricacies very well.” As Crowler spoke, images of his brief duel with the strange student appeared on the screen, showcasing his monsters. “He holds back resources until they are necessary, an admirable level of forethought, though that is possible to harm his matches should he hold himself back too much... And of course, his _attitude_ is very likely to put him at a psychological disadvantage should he become too distracted.”

On the screen, chancellor Sheppard cupped his chin in thought and nodded calmly, raising a paper into view. “ _It has also been delivered to us by Industrial Illusions that he will be utilizing a few prototype Decks for increased energy output on the hologram technology, so at the very least we can expect some surprises come the school year._ ”

“ _Perfetto…_ Well, moving on to our other candidates before my migraine worsens… The boy that arrived with him, Jaden Yuki.” The samurai user’s pictures were replaced instead with those of another youth, this one more cheerful looking, and surrounded instead by colorful humanoids as he battled an instructor. “An Elemental HERO user, his written test scores were utterly abysmal… But his dueling talent cannot be denied. For such a basic deck, his usage of it is masterful, and I doubt he has revealed his full arsenal. That he defeated our highest-level instructor deck makes it clear.”

“ _Hoh? Is that appreciation I hear in your voice, professor_?” asked Sheppard wryly as he gave the doctor a mischievous stare. And to no surprise, Crowler merely scoffed.

“Hm, hardly. Skill can be acknowledged, but that does not deny the fact he has all the air of a slacker. If the Yuki boy does not apply himself, then he’ll never leave the Slifer halls he shall be starting on… Just like the Truesdale boy.” And if Crowler sounded disappointed before, the professor seemed outright _disgusted_ speaking of the blue-haired child. “It is frankly shocking that he is from the same family as Zane Truesdale. His dueling skills are appalling, his written scores are lower than even the Yuki boy, and all signs point to a rock-bottom self-esteem… Chancellor, with all due respect, this boy does not belong in Duel Academy--”

“ _That is not our decision to make at the moment, professor,_ ” interjected the man, this time with far more seriousness and edge to his voice. “ _The Truesdale boy has qualified for entering the Academy, and he shall be allowed so. Any other decisions shall be made_ after _we have personally witnessed whatever growth he is to have, understood?_ ”

“Mmph… _Molto bene,_ chancellor _._ ”

“ _Good. Now, for the other candidates?_ ”

“There are of course our star candidates: Bastion Misawa, Chazz Princeton, Alexis Rhodes and Sora Perse.” Another press of buttons, and the four images were focused, each one listing specific data next to them. “Excellent grades, fantastic performance on their duels and a stellar school history. Dare I say, some of the best Duelists to join our Academy.”

“ _Hmm… The Princeton boy worries me, however. The weight and pressure placed upon him by his family name is sure to drive his actions_.”

“Irrelevant. If his skills remain sharp, I see no reason for any familiar conflict… And if I may speak freely, chancellor, it is _signor_ Perse that I believe we should worry about.”

Sheppard would admit, to see Vellian Crowler concerned was a rare thing. Annoyed? Oh, quite common. Irritated? Even more so, considering the age of the students he dealt with. Sometimes, the man would even end up choleric, particularly when the young men and women took to more… _Exotic_ relaxation methods. But concerned, as he looked now, with a deathly-serious expression and rigid body language? The chancellor could count the moments in one hand, with this one added.

“ _… What do you mean, professor?_ ”

“The boy is dangerous, Chancellor,” continued Crowler as he set the bag of ice aside. “His performance on the entrance duel, I can say with certainty that it was merely a masquerade. His _true_ colors are still hidden, and unless we are properly ready, _signor_ Perse might prove more than we are prepared for.”

“ _Very well then,_ ” spoke the chancellor calm yet seriously, a determined look in his eyes. “ _I will assign security to keep an eye on the boy. We cannot afford to have slip-ups… Not now, when we are still attempting to find our enemies._ ” Both men let out a weary sigh in response to what any outsider would deem “mystery talk”, but that to them and Fontaine, meant the fate of the world. And that Fontaine would most likely need to restock her headache pills in the near future. “ _What of our last two applicants?_ ”

“Mm… Yes, _signorinas_ Witzer and Augur… Both also accomplished Duelists, utilize rather… Unorthodox strategies and Decks, but… Well, _signor_ Atlas is not the only one with an _attitude_ problem,” and seeing the uncomfortable grimace in Crowler’s face, Sheppard’s mood was lifted, if only slightly so. It seemed that this year their new candidates were quite interesting, in a way.

“ _Whatever you mean, professor?”_ But before Crowler could speak up, it was Fontaine that stepped forward, seeming somewhat sheepish.

“How may I put this, chancellor… Miss Witzer has a penchant for more… _Pyrotechnic_ displays during her duels… Not to mention her attitude being quite similar to that of Mr. Atlas. As for Miss Augur, she has a certain, umm…”

“What Miss Fontaine is trying to say, chancellor, is that unless _signora_ Augur controls her _impulses_ and more _overt_ desires while Dueling, then there won’t be anyone in the entire Academy who will Duel against her… Or who will allow her to stay on the dorms,” spoke up Crowler with the slightest hint of despair in his voice.

“ _… I… See, professor… Well, I will see what… Arrangements can be done._ ”

“ _Grazie_ , chancellor.”

“ _Well, send the data and grades back to the Academy, then go back to the hotel, both of you. Rest up while you can._ ”

**-O-**

“ _Of course, chancellor._ ”

“Good. Sleep well, professors,” said Sheppard warmly, his usual smile returning to grace the two faculties. “The school year will start soon, and I don’t want you two looking like our students on our first day! Ahahaha!”

“ _Urghh… Si, cancelliere.”_

And with a polite nod from both, the call ended, leaving the chancellor both alone… And haunted by his thoughts. The man rose from his chair and stepped to the massive windows that were behind his desk, overlooking the entire Academy building and most of the island. But chief to his attention were the seven pillars that rose almost as high as the school’s central building, proof of the accursed treasure that slept beneath the foundations… And the cause for the dark storms that Sheppard could see and imagine forming, just over the horizon.

“And yet… Even in these trying times, there will be hope born anew in the hearts of the young,” spoke the chancellor softly to himself, one of his hands brushing unconsciously against the Deck he kept upon his waist. “So come, you servants of darkness… You will find no easy task ahead of you.”

**-O-**

A week later, the results for the practical exams had come through, and with them the chosen duelists to join the prestigious Duel Academy.

And amidst those applicants, nine Duelists, destined for many hardships and challenges… But whose stars would shine brighter than any, and banish away all evil.

**YU-GI-OH! RE-GX**

**NEW GAME**

**-START-**

**~O~**

**As promised, a quick epilogue to what was essentially the prologue to the fic. Just a short little peek at some of the stuff that awaits our glorious five years of education on saving the world… Or some shit like that.**

**Now, onto more… Unpleasant matters.**

**See, I like to think of myself as a mostly chill person. I’m not the kind of person to dismiss people giving criticism to my stories, because that would be haughty beyond measure, and 90% of the time critiques help you develop your story for the better! Such critiques are the reason I am willing to go back and retcon stuff from my fics, either because of the criticism itself, or because it makes me realize a change of plans is needed. It’s happened with the Charge the Heavens, it’s happening with Titanomachy, and happened in this fic just now (that being, I’ve made the executive decision to change the SI’s first name from “Jack” to “Drake”, though I’m keeping the surname.**

**However, I’ve _also_ been getting less _useful_ criticism, sometimes either back-handed, or directly insulting the fic itself, me, or the decisions made for the fic. So unfortunately, I find myself needing to put my foot down harsher than I usually would.**

**Yes, I know the decision to alter cards means more work and some confusion. It’s why I’m doing my best to keep the cards as close to their original selves as possible.**

**_Yes_ , I know there are more powerful cards/more meta decks/more usual combos than what I’ve picked, and honestly, I don’t _care_. The SI is _me_ , and the Decks he’s brought are the ones I have the most emotional attachment to due to a number of reasons. I don’t _care_ how Predaplants or Crystron or whatever is stronger, they’re _not_ the cards I hold dear, so _I_ won’t be using them.**

**And _NO_ , I will _NOT_ be changing the entire _fucking_ planned fic because two chapters in someone shows up and says “This fic is terrible”. We’re _two_ chapters in, _literally_ only covered the first _fucking_ episode of the anime, and only barely touching upon any plot whatsoever. I am not someone who goes around saying “NO TRUST ME THIS FIC IS GREAT YOU’LL SEE JUST BLINDLY BELIEVE ME!”, but I also have my limits. Decide your opinion on the fic once we have more than two chapters to develop things. If we get to, say, the Society of Light and you, someone who was enjoying the fic until now, say to me “This isn’t fun anymore”, I will understand completely. Because you’ve had time to read and we’ve had time to develop. I am fully aware that this is something that can happen, but at the same time I’m sticking to the plot I’ve decided for Re-GX. So please, for _all that is holy, STOP TRYING TO DICTATE THE FIC_ _BASED ON WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN OR SHOULD HAPPEN, WHEN WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN THERE_.**

**If you want to leave criticism, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism at that, then by all means! I am more than willing to hear and build upon it! The fact that Charge the Heavens had a third of it’s fifth chapter rewritten should serve as proof that I am willing to _change stuff_ _if I see that the offered criticism is better than what I previously had_. If you’re here to just throw shade/shit at my story, then you’re doing it to the wind. I won’t care, and I will _actively_ ignore it.**

**And if I hadn’t fixed my pettiness years ago, I would probably write something out of spite. But I am a better person now thanks to a _lot_ of people online that I owe much to, so that won’t be happening from me.**

**Apologies for the anger-posting, but I had to say it.**

**Have a good night everyone, stay safe.**


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